Don’t turn your PC off when stuck preparing Windows for the Creators Update

The Creators Update issues aren’t over quite yet. Some Windows users are now complaining that Windows 10 on their PC is stuck on the “Getting Windows Ready, Don’t turn off your computer” screen. Some users have raised this concern, even posting their rants to various social media outlets after trying to upgrade to the Creators Update.

The issue does not seem to affect all brands of laptops, however. While some PCs were able to upgrade to Windows 10 version 1703 from version 1607, popular laptops including the Dell XPS have been stuck on the “Getting Windows ready” screen for several hours. Others reported that they waited for 2 hours. Still, some others have to spend 7 hours just to upgrade their PC.

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it. The only option you have at the moment is just to wait for the upgrade process to complete. That means you must not shut down your PC at all costs. There are various possible consequences if you do otherwise. For one, your PC might just not boot again.

Keep in mind to set your PC so that it does not Sleep after several hours of being plugged in. In Windows 10, go to Setting > System > Power & Sleep. Under the drop-down for When plugged in, select Never before upgrading your laptop. This will help ensure that your PC won’t shut down while the upgrade process is in progress. Ensure also that your computer is connected to the main power supply to avoid interruption.

If your PC reboots later, that means the upgrade is successful. However, if it is still taking longer than usual for the upgrade to complete, then you may take the risk of shutting down Windows. Once your PC reboots, clear the Software Distribution folder, reset the Catroot2 folder, and run Windows Update again. If your PC does not restart, you need to reinstall Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool or Windows Upgrade Assistant. Make sure to enable the “Keep personal files & data” during installation.